State workers share $138M in longevity increases

Bump helps to take the sting from freeze on annual raises

Published 10:04 pm, Thursday, May 17, 2012

ALBANY — State employees may not be getting contractual raises for the next few years, but during the last few weeks thousands have started getting a piece of the $138 million the state is giving out as longevity increases.

Paid out through the step system of "performance advances" that workers get at the start of their careers or through the longevity bonuses they get later, the increases survived what union members said was a bruising contract negotiation last year.

This year's payments appear to be down slightly from the estimated $140 million that went out the year before.

While a precise match of the raises and payrolls wasn't immediately available, the decrease could be due to the reduction of the state workforce through attrition.

Under the step system, employees get performance advances each year until their seventh year, when they have gone from the "hiring rate" to the "job rate." The size of the raises depend on job title and starting salary. They can range from approximately $700 to more than $3,000.

About $63 million in performance advances are going out so far this year, according to the state comptroller's office.

After reaching the job rate, employees after five years to get annual longevity pay bonuses of $1,250 per year. After 10 years, that goes up to $2,500.

The timetables are slightly different for security or uniformed employees, as well as those in the court system.

More than 30,000 workers received longevity payments. The issue of longevity pay came up last year when Gov. Andrew Cuomo was negotiating with Council 82, which represented certain law enforcement officers at the time. Possible changes to the longevity pay ultimately fell off the table.

Most longevity increases are protected by the Triborough Amendment, which keep in place conditions of a public sector contract even if that contract is expired. Critics complain it gives unions an incentive to sit on their hands during negotiations.